About thirty-six countries (China, Republic of Korea, Germany, Japan, Spain, Italy, Brazil, Russian Federation, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Philippines, Finland, Denmark, Argentina, Slovakia, Mexico, Hungary, Turkey, Ukraine, Georgia, Colombia, Uruguay, Bulgaria, Portugal, Belarus, Estonia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Guatemala, Kazakhstan, Republic of Moldova, Kenya, Tajikistan, Trinidad & Tobago, and Armenia) also have utility model protection: A utility model provides more limited protection than a utility patent for inventions that may not rise to the level of invention required for utility patent protection. It is usually easier, and often faster, to obtain a utility model than a utility patent, however, the term of a utility model is generally shorter than the term of a utility patent. In countries that have utility models, it is often possible to convert a utility patent application into a utility model application or split a utility model application out of a utility patent application. This conversion provides a way for an applicant to quickly pursue an infringer when the issuance of a utility patent is being delayed in the examination process