The ongoing issue with companies like Walmart and others refusing to make copies of what they feel are 'commercial' or 'professional' photographs stems directly from their experiences being sued.
It is a double-edged sword; photographers want their copyrights protected, yet we photographers as consumers also want to be able to make copies of photographs we've purchased.
It can be a difficult proposition to explain to a person who has purchased a set of photos from a commercial studio that they don't actually own the rights to the photos. They paid money 'for the photos', yes, but not for the unlimited right to duplicate those photos.
As others have mentioned, copyright (as well as ownership) does not cease to exist with a bankruptcy. The assets, tangible and intangible, belong to someone.
What might be more expedient would simply be to buy a flat-bed scanner and make your copies. Then sell the scanner, if you feel you won't be using it again. Or ask a friend with a scanner to do it for you. This is not legal advice - if you want that, I'd check with a lawyer. But my opinion is that the holders of the rights to your photos, whomever that might be, would be very unlikely to even know about your photos, let alone object to your making copies of them.
My wife and I were fortunate; our wedding photographer decided to 'go digital' a number of years ago, and contacted us to offer us all the negatives of our wedding for a small amount of money. We accepted on the grounds that he was transferring all the rights to the photographs to us, not just the physical negatives. We can now do as we please with our wedding photos, they do indeed belong to us. Most people do not have that right, although many presume they do.
