Microsoft using money to lure people to its search engine?

This is a new attempt by the software Goliath to rival Google and Yahoo, offer cash rebates on purchases done through Windows Live Search. And the idea for this? Not from Microsoft of course! The idea actually came from Jellyfish.com which Microsoft bought last year.
If you can't innovate I guess you'll have to buy those who can. And while I'm at it, Microsoft is still trying to buy Yahoo!, well not all of it, now they want to buy stakes in it. I guess if you can't beat them, buy them!
This is extremely dangerous, Microsoft has deep pockets, and with the slowing economy a lot of people can use a little cash saving on their purchases. If this works out for MS, innovations in search engines will come to a halt, as it is with any area MS dominates.