If a sale is being initiated by the holder of restricted 144 stock, even though the owner of those shares is technically a long, the sale is listed as a short sale because the actual certificates are not yet "clean" via the transfer agent.
This is factually not true the 144 restriction is indeed, lifted after they are transferred.
Therefore, it is impossible for shares to be counted as shorted shares !
Only after the shares have been transferred to the designated broker, or perhaps lent to a broker ! And said broker has the ability to short the shares, and now counted as shorted !