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The new scheme sees users rewarded with a "ticket" every time they use Windows Live or MSN search. Participants can earn up to 25 tickets a day, which can then be exchanged for prizes.

Microsoft is giving participants 500 free tickets as a bonus for signing up, and considering prizes start from 525 tickets, users could theoretically start earning from day one - even if that initial prize is only five music downloads.

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An Xbox 360 controller costs 5,500 tickets.

The scheme is only open to the first million US residents who apply on the SearchPerks website. A US address isn't the only prerequisite: participants must use Internet Explorer 6 or higher and run Windows, in a naked attempt to ensure users are running a Microsoft-only set-up.

It's not the first time Microsoft has offered incentives to use its search engine. In May the company launched Live Search Cashback which refunded part of the cost of products bought from selected Microsoft shopping partners.

Yet, it's clear to see why Microsoft will go to great lengths to attract users. ComScore gave Microsoft an 8.9% share of the US search market in July, down 0.3% on June, and a mere fraction of Google's 61.9% share of the market.