In 2014, mugaba wrote her memoirs, my life in the congo. mugaba did not register a copyright. under federal copyright law, mugaba's book:

The answer is protected for her life plus seventy years. The period of copyright for a particular work depends on several factors, comprising whether it has been published, and, if so, the date of first publication. As a universal rule, for works created after January 1, 1978, copyright protection go on for the life of the author plus an additional 70 years. For an a pseudonymous work, anonymous work, or a work made for hire, the copyright sustains for a term of 95 years from the year of its first publication or a term of 120 years from the year of its making, whichever expires first.