SAN FRANCISCO — An appellate panel has agreed Netflix Inc. shouldn’t be on the hook for allegedly colluding with Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to divvy up the market for online DVD rentals.

Netflix and Wal-Mart reached an agreement in 2005 that transferred customers of Wal-Mart’s flagging DVD-rental subscription service to Netflix. Netflix, in turn, agreed to promote Walmart’s DVD sales business.