Computer implemented method for determining an amount to bill a first owner of a first application executing in a computer, and a second owner of a second application executing in the computer. The computer receives a request from a remote client to transfer a file to the client. The file is shared by the first and second applications. The client made a prior request to the first application before making the request for the file. A determination is made that the request from the client to transfer the file should be billed to the first owner based on the client's prior request to the first application. The client made the prior request to the first application closer in time, than another prior request from the client to the second application, to the request to transfer the file.