Lake, have you ever tried getting series 144 shares taken off restriction?
IMO it is a royal pain in the buttocks. The company that issued the shares must give the OK, an opinion by an attorney is required and the shares are passed to the Securities Exchange Commision to verify they qualify being released. This isn't something a company just decides to change on their own, it is controlled by the Government who compares the restriction code with the filing forms to ensure compliance.
If either you or eelfland can show an example of a firm getting restricted shares released early, I would like to see the example. Thanks.