A false reporter, or FR, was the most common form of "offender" in Flipnote Hatena.
A user's rendition of a false reporter.
Definition[]
A false reporter is a user who accuses or reports someone on 'false accusitions.' On Hatena, it refers to Flipnotes reported for the wrong reason.
Reasons for reporting[]
Most FRs report a Flipnote mainly because they're jealous of its popularity or just for the sake of the response and attention. If done on a Flipnote on the Most Popular page, its likely for the sake of bumping another's rank down.
When is it "False Reporting?"[]
The most common mistake or misconception is that a creator's Flipnote is not violating the Terms of Use. In most cases, this is not the reality. The most common reports are about the use of copyrighted material in Flipnotes, usually audio. This is commonly overlooked by creators. Many creators do not realize this and become upset when reported. Note that many people do not mind if anyone is using copyrighted material. It is still heavily frowned upon by the Hatena community.
A person who spins off another Flipnote can be legitimately reported when the original creator reports them. A Flipnote does not need to break the rules. Any spin-off can be reported by the previous creator for any reason at all.
It is false reporting when a person whose art style is similar to another's is reported. Reporting for a similar art style cannot be reported. It must be a Original Character by definition, not by originality.