Unless the book is being bought directly from the writer, isn't it really the publisher who is gaining the rewards? My understanding is that the writer is paid a lumpsum for rights of a book by a publisher.

If the entire motto is "benefit of others", the writer themselves can publish it for the public to read openly, or make it a collaborative project where their and other people's contributions are added together.

It's not black and white, both sides of a piracy debate (much like anything else) have their arguments, and could have had reached a better medium.