diff --git a/python_apps/media-monitor2/media/monitor/owners.py b/python_apps/media-monitor2/media/monitor/owners.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c85045c7f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python_apps/media-monitor2/media/monitor/owners.py
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+from media.monitor.log import get_logger
+log = get_logger()
+# hash: 'filepath' => owner_id
+owners = {}
+
+def add_file_owner(f,owner):
+    """
+    Associate file f with owner. If owner is -1 then do we will not record it
+    because -1 means there is no owner
+    """
+    if owner == -1: return None
+    if f in owners:
+        if owner != owners[f]: # check for fishiness
+            log.info("Warning ownership of file '%s' changed from '%d' to '%d'"
+                    % (f, owners[f], owner))
+    owners[f] = owner
+
+def has_owner(f):
+    """
+    True if f is owned by somebody. False otherwise.
+    """
+    return f in owners
+
+def remove_file_owner(f):
+    """
+    Try and delete any association made with file f. Returns true if the the
+    association was actually deleted. False otherwise.
+    """
+    if f in owners:
+        del owners[f]
+        return True
+    else:
+        log.warn("Trying to delete file that does not exist: '%s'" % f)
+        return False
+