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I understood this survey differently. We're all speculating about what's going on so I'd like to explain why I think it is an attempt to provide better service to JKR's readers.
Let's not forget that although JKR owns the copyright she does not have exclusive rights to the work. The publishers invested in editorial services, book design, art work and marketing. We don't know what sort of lawyering JKR confronted trying to go digital. The publishers are aware that their future lies in digital and I'm sure they had something to say about any attempt to publish these books in eBook form.
The DRM scheme proposed was the least obnoxious form. It allows you to move eBooks you buy to a new device without having to depend on the DRM servers of a particular bookseller or having to remember what credit card number you used back when you bought the books. It simply puts your name on the books you buy.
The survey asked where I buy my eBooks. Why would they ask that unless they are trying to decide whether to offer them for sale through normal book dealers. JKR is not a publishing house, she doesn't have a distribution system already set up, so if she wants to sell through a variety of book shops she had to approach them.
The truth is we don't know what's happening with the eBook sales plans or what business problems they are running into. I trust JKR's intentions. That's me of course, but I see no reason to distrust her. If taking a few minutes to provide some answers will help move the process then it's something I want to help with because I'd love to read the whole series again.
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