If Recording Available Digitally Is It In Print?

The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings was recently published and I have some issues with it especially the exclusion of soul blues, but that is for another time. But they also generally omit recordings that are out-of-print so for example the two excellent albums that Bobby Parker recorded for Black Top in 1993 and 1995 are not discussed in that book (although they are discussed in other, older guides such as the All Music Guide to the Blues).
Visiting emusic.com, I did a search on Bobby's name and discovered Parker's two discs are available for download such even if the original Black Top CDs are out-of-print, the music is in-print. Of course one does not get the packaging or liner notes. I should add that various CD dealers online do have the original CDs available. By the time they do an updated edition, the authors of this work are going to have to consider what does online availability of the music mean for the coverage they provide. Of course, other music guides will also have to face this issue.