EXHIBIT 24.1

                         POWER OF ATTORNEY OF DIRECTORS

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS:

      Each of the undersigned directors of ScanSoft, Inc., a Delaware
corporation (the "Company"), hereby constitutes and appoints Paul A. Ricci and
James R. Arnold, Jr., and each of them with power to act alone, his or her true
and lawful attorney-in-fact, with full power of substitution and resubstitution,
for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all
capacities, to execute a Registration Statement or Registration Statements on
Form S-8 or other appropriate form, under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, relating to shares of common stock of the Company issuable under the
ScanSoft, Inc. 2000 Nonstatutory Stock Plan, the Amended and Restated ScanSoft,
Inc. 1995 Employee Stock Purchase Plan and the ScanSoft, Inc. 2000 Stock Plan
(collectively, the "Plans") and any and all amendments (including post-effective
amendments) to such Registration Statement(s), and to file such Registration
Statement(s) and any and all amendments thereto, with exhibits thereto, and
other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, granting unto said attorney-in-fact full power and authority to do
and perform each and every act and thing necessary or desirable to be done in
and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes, as he or she might
or could do in person, thereby ratifying and confirming all that said
attorney-in-fact or his substitute or substitutes may lawfully do or cause to be
done by virtue hereof.

      IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 10th day of February
2005.

 /s/ Paul A. Ricci                            /s/ Robert M. Finch
_____________________________                ___________________________________
Paul A. Ricci                                Robert M. Finch

 /s/ Robert J. Frankenberg                    /s/ John C. Freker, Jr.
_____________________________                ___________________________________
Robert J. Frankenberg                        John C. Freker, Jr.

 /s/ William H. Janeway                       /s/ Katharine A. Martin
_____________________________                ___________________________________
William H. Janeway                           Katharine A. Martin

 /s/ Mark B. Myers                            /s/ Robert G. Teresi
_____________________________                ___________________________________
Mark B. Myers                                Robert G. Teresi