A Washington state appeals court has sided with Starkist against a Seattle judge who ruled the company was " jointly and severally liable for the harm it and its competitors, Chicken of the Sea and Bumble Bee Foods," caused consumers in a long-ranging price-fixing case involving canned tuna.

The panel said in a decision filed Jan. 3 it has reversed the judgement and that the trial court erred in mandating "joint and several liability" for Starkist as part of a lawsuit dating back several years.