The Recording Industry Association of America immediately praised the group for the action, taken last week at the group's annual meeting in Los Angeles.
"The adoption of this resolution serves as a reminder that the theft of copyrighted works affects the smallest of towns and the largest of cities," RIAA chairman and CEO Mitch Bainwol said in a prepared statement. "Piracy costs cities significant tax revenue that could be used for municipal priorities and results in lost jobs and wages for U.S. workers. In addition, city officials must be aware of the exposure to dangerous criminal organizations that actively engage in this theft."
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa backed the resolution, which calls for a comprehensive plan to fight piracy and counterfeiting. It also calls upon city governments to improve internal prevention of peer-to-peer applications and piracy on local government equipment.
Bainwol predicted that the mayors' resolution would become a model for local governments.
The RIAA claims its members create, manufacture, and distribute about 90% of all "legitimate sound recordings" produced in the United States. The group also tracks record sales and gives awards for Gold, Platinum, Multi-Platinum, and Diamond album awards.
The U.S. Conference of Mayors represents 1,139 cities with populations of 30,000 or more. Their intellectual property resolution states that global piracy costs the United States about $250 billion annually and has resulted in the loss of 4.6 million jobs. It also calls on Congress and states to pass legislation increasing penalties for intellectual property crimes.