In the method of handling overlapping notification requests in a network with an open application programming interface, a response is received from a server to a notification request sent to the server based on a notification request entry in a plist. The notification request requests access to at least one object. Then, notification request entries in an rlist associated with the notification entry in the plist are identified, and the response is sent to an application associated with one of the identified notification request entries in the rlist. When a new notification request is received from an application, the new notification request is added to the rlist, and at least one of the plist and links between the notification request entries in the rlist and plist are altered. When a disable request requesting that a notification request be disabled is received from an application, at least one of the plist and links between the notification request entries in the plist and the rlist are altered.