UPDATE 1-Closing arguments as DISH Network, NDS trial ends

(Adds NDS details in last paragraph)

By Tori Richards

SANTA ANA, Calif., May 7 (Reuters) - DISH Network Corp has engaged in the same kind of satellite television piracy that it accused News Corp unit NDS Group of in a lawsuit, a lawyer for NDS argued on Wednesday during closing arguments in the case.

Attorney Darin Snyder told the jury in his closing remarks that DISH (DISH.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) employed an infamous hacker and attempted to crack the encryption codes of rivals in the satellite TV business.

DISH has sued NDS (NNDS.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) in a corporate espionage case that has the potential for damages of $1.6 billion if a jury finds against the News Corp (NWSa.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) unit and awards punitive damages.

Jury deliberations were set to begin in the high-profile case as early as Thursday morning.

"The plaintiffs are doing the same with practically everything they're complaining about with NDS," Snyder said. "They had a multi-million-dollar project where they tried to break into a Motorola (black) box."

Snyder said DISH employed convicted hacker Ron Ereiser, who had been caught trying to steal the codes of DirecTV.

NDS employed several hackers, including Christopher Tarvnosky, who was keeping tabs on Ereiser in a sting operation titled "Johnny Walker," according to testimony during the one-month trial in Santa Ana, California.