Confused about Linked List

template <class T>
class Node
{
public:
 T m_data;                  // Data to be stored
 Node<T>* m_next;     // Pointer to the next element in the list


 // Purpose: Default constructor
 // Postconditions: next pointer set to NULL
 // ---INLINE---
 Node() : m_next(NULL) {}

 // Purpose: Auxiliaty constructor, construct from parameters
 // Postconditions: data and next pointer set to parameters
 // ---INLINE---
 Node(const T& x, Node<T>* p)
         : m_data(x), m_next(p) {}

};

template <class T>
class LinkedList
{

public:

 Node<T>* head;     // Pointer to the head of the list

// Purpose: Default constructor
// Postconditions: head pointer set to NULL
// ---INLINE---
LinkedList() : head(NULL) {}





template<class T>
const LinkedList<T>& LinkedList<T>::operator =(const LinkedList<T>& rhs)
{
    if(this != &rhs)
    {
      if(head != NULL)
      {
        clear();
      }
      head = NULL;
      Node<T>* rhsptr = rhs.head;
      Node<T>* copyptr = new Node<T>;
      copyptr->m_data = rhs->m_data;
      while(rhs->m_next != NULL)
      {
       rhsptr = rhsptr->m_next;
       copyptr = new Node<T>;
       copyptr = copyptr->m_next;
       copyptr->m_data = rhsptr->m_data;
      }
      copyptr->m_next = NULL;

     }
     return(*this);

}

COPY OPERATOR

template<class T>
LinkedList<T>::LinkedList(const LinkedList<T>& rhs)
{

    *this = rhs;
}

When I compile, it says:

linkedlist.hpp:24:25: error: base operand of ‘->’ has non-pointer type ‘const

LinkedList’

copyptr->m_data = rhs->m_data; ^ linkedlist.hpp:25:13: error: base operand of ‘->’ has non-pointer type ‘const

LinkedList’

while(rhs->m_next != NULL)

I'm confused because I declared rhsptr as a pointer type so I should be able to use -> right?

Also, I am confused if this coding works in general. We've been taught in class that the copy operator should just imitate the initialization and call on the = operator but I've seen some codes doing the opposite. Their copy constructor is coded and the assignment operator calls on it.