Independents ultimately emerged as an alternative to the Edison Trust by engaging in all of the following EXCEPT....Making longer films in the way of successful foreign "epics",Buying up all of Edison’s expired patents,Poaching talent from Trust companies and promoting actors as stars,Moving production (and exhibition)westward to keep Edison’s legal team farther away,

The question is asking which of the following actions was NOT taken by Independents as an alternative to the Edison Trust. The options are:

1. Making longer films in the way of successful foreign "epics"
2. Buying up all of Edison’s expired patents
3. Poaching talent from Trust companies and promoting actors as stars
4. Moving production (and exhibition) westward to keep Edison’s legal team farther away

To answer this question, we need to know what actions the Independents actually took.

1. Making longer films: Independents did start making longer films to compete with the Edison Trust. This was a way to differentiate their product and attract audiences.

2. Buying up all of Edison’s expired patents: This is not something the Independents did. The Independents were more focused on creating their own content and methods of production, rather than relying on Edison's expired patents.

3. Poaching talent from Trust companies and promoting actors as stars: This is something the Independents did do. They realized the value of star power and used it to draw audiences away from the Edison Trust.

4. Moving production westward: This is also something the Independents did. By moving production to places like Hollywood, they were able to avoid some of the legal issues they were facing with the Edison Trust.

So, the action that the Independents did NOT take as an alternative to the Edison Trust was buying up all of Edison’s expired patents.